Ben Williams, a Hayden High School senior who plays for Moffat County High School, throws a pitch against Battle Mountain High School on Tuesday at Craig Middle School. Williams and fellow Tigers Graig Medvesk and Mark Doolin drive to Craig each weekday to play with the Bulldogs varsity team.

MCHS baseball struggles against lefty

The Moffat County High School boys varsity baseball team struggled at the plate Tuesday in Rangely against an unfamiliar pitcher in a 3-1 loss.

Rangely High School’s Kody Denny, a left-handed pitcher, only gave up two hits to the Bulldogs.

Senior Dylon Camilletti was able to steal second base after MCHS’s first hit and Hayden senior Graig Medvesk batted Camilletti in the next at bat.

Head coach Justin Folley said this was the best pitching his team has seen since the Montrose Tournament in early March.

“Denny pitched a really tough game and is a great pitcher,” Folley said. “Eagle Valley and Battle Mountain have good pitchers, but Denny was able to hit his spots and he had a style we don’t normally see from a pitcher.”

Folley said it was good for his team to see Denny’s caliber of pitching this week.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs (3-5 overall, 3-1 Western Slope League) will host Delta High School. Delta’s pitchers, Folley said, are some of the best in the Western Slope League.

“Rangely gave us something new and different to look at that we don’t have in our conference,” he said. “Delta has good pitching, so it was a good warm-up for our players.”

Junior Ivan Nielson, who is usually reserved for relief pitching, threw six innings for the Bulldogs.

“As long as the defense is on their toes, Ivan can do what he needs to on the mound,” Folley said. “He pitches in the summer, as well, so he has experience as a pitcher.”

Folley said the Bulldogs had another strong game on defense, but a few mistakes playing the ball cost them the game.

The catcher position has been a concern early in the season.

Junior Carlos Maldonado started the season as the catcher, but a back injury forced Folley to put Maldonado at third base. Sophomore Bubba Ivers and Camilletti have rotated at the position since.

“I don’t want to put Carlos back at catcher until he is healthy so we don’t risk further injury,” Folley said. “Bubba has done a good job for us for not playing there before and Dylon steps in and does a good job when we need him.”

The Bulldogs were scheduled for a double header against the Panthers, but both schools decided to use the second game for the younger, inexperienced players.

“We had six scheduled games this week, and we really didn’t have the arm power for it,” Folley said. “Rangely wanted to get their younger guys out there, so we played some of the guys who don’t normally see the field.”

On Tuesday, MCHS played a double header against Battle Mountain, with the second game going two extra innings.

“The long game definitely took a little bit of toll,” Folley said. “Rangely was a smaller, non-conference school and I’m not sure we came in ready to play.”

The Bulldogs play a double header against Delta at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday at Craig Middle School, 915 Yampa Ave.